28 Apr What are Three Common Errors You Should Avoid During a Personal Injury Case?
According to statistics, it is believed that roughly 400,000 personal injury cases are filed annually in the United States. However, of these 400,000 cases, roughly only 4 percent make it to trial, with the majority choosing to reach a fair settlement.
Regardless of the kind of personal injury case you have, navigating the many legalities surrounding everything you must do during this emotionally taxing time can be challenging. That’s why it’s not uncommon for people to make mistakes. Unfortunately, some mistakes can have severe and lasting consequences.
Luckily, with the assistance of a New York personal injury attorney at Gruenberg Kelly Della and this article, you can avoid a few common errors with your personal injury case.
There are far more than only three common errors people make during a personal injury case, but some mistakes are worse than others and can have far-reaching negative consequences. Below we’ve listed these mistakes so you can avoid making them while navigating this incredibly stressful time.
Failing to Seek Medical Care and Collect Evidence
One of the biggest errors you could make with a personal injury case is failing to seek medical care and forgetting or choosing not to collect evidence. If you don’t seek medical attention after an accident, you risk becoming more injured shortly after or in the near future.
Additionally, failing to seek assistance from a medical professional could also mean there will be no medical record that you can use to prove the injuries you sustained were caused by the accident. This could negatively affect your chances of obtaining compensation.
Moreover, if you forget or choose not to collect evidence after your accident, you worsen your chances of claiming a fair settlement amount from the liable party. This is because you need to prove that the other party’s actions caused the accident and, thus, your injuries.
So, at the scene of the accident or shortly afterward, if you’re able to, you must collect the following:
- Images of the accident scene
- Pictures of your injuries
- The accidents police report
- Eye witness statements
- CCTV footage
Since collecting evidence while focusing on recovery can be difficult, you should consider hiring a personal injury attorney. An attorney can help you obtain evidence, assemble your case, and work alongside you to improve your chances of a positive case outcome.
Giving an Insurance Company a Statement Without Consulting an Attorney
No matter what you have been told in the past, insurance companies are not on your side. Most insurance companies will do everything possible to ensure they pay out as little as possible, leaving you in a potentially precarious situation.
For this reason, it’s never a good idea to give an insurance company an official statement without first consulting an experienced attorney. Often what you say can get you in trouble or cause an insurance company to claim you’re at fault for the accident. For example, if you mistakenly say you’re sorry or admit guilt without meaning to, it can be held against you.
Fortunately, a qualified and skilled personal injury attorney can assist you with your statement. In some instances, your attorney might be able to make the statement for you and handle all negotiations with the insurance company on your behalf. This is one of the best solutions since you can entirely avoid making any errors when speaking with them.
Posting on Social Media
Not many people realize that anything they post online – including on their social media accounts – is public information. If you upload something after your accident pertaining to it, there is always the possibility of it being accessed by opposing counsel and insurance companies.
This is why it’s usually best to delete or deactivate your social media accounts during a personal injury claim. This way, you can avoid oversharing details that could cause problems for your case. Often, a single post or image has cost someone their entire case, and you don’t want to be like them.
Should you decide not to deactivate or delete your social media, just know that the defendant’s lawyers are highly likely to go through your social media accounts to search for evidence, they can use against you.
Connect with A Personal Injury Attorney At Gruenberg Kelly Della to Discuss Your Case Today!
You must avoid these three common errors when busy with your personal injury case. Making one of these mistakes or one of the many others we didn’t speak about could negatively impact your case and leave little room for salvaging.
Should you want to learn more about the many common errors you need to avoid or would like help filing a personal injury claim, you can speak with a New York personal injury attorney.
At Gruenberg Kelly Della, we have decades of experience representing personal injury clients and can use our knowledge to help you build a strong case. Contact us here and learn more about how our law firm can help.